Process for the fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin

Abstract

A process for the fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin. The process comprises contacting a feed comprising the oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin and an amount of sulphur with a fluid cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. to produce a products stream. The process further comprises separating fluid cracking catalyst from the products stream and separating a light fraction from the products stream; and removing hydrogen sulphide from the light fraction by means of an amine treating process. Activated carbon is used to treat at least part of an amine solution used in the amine treating process or to treat at least part of the feed to the amine treating process.

1 . A process for the fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin, the process comprising
 contacting a feed comprising the oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin and an amount of sulphur with a fluid cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. to produce a products stream;   separating the fluid cracking catalyst from the products stream and separating a light fraction from the products stream; and   removing hydrogen sulphide from the light fraction by means of an amine treating process, wherein activated carbon is used to treat at least part of an amine solution used in the amine treating process or to treat at least part of the feed to the amine treating process.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds from biological origin are derived from plant oil, animal fat or used cooking oil. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds is up to 65 vol % of the total feed. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds is between 1 and 45 vol %. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds is between 2 and 35 vol %. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds is between 3 and 25 vol %. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the light fraction is a fraction of the products stream comprising oxygen containing C1-C4 compounds having a biological origin having a boiling point equal to or less than 64° C. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the light fraction is a fraction comprising methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butanoic acid, acetone, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and/or acrylaldehyde. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the light fraction is a C1-C2 fraction and/or a C3-C4 fraction. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the light fraction from the cracked products stream is obtained by feeding separated cracked products stream to a distillation column, fractionating the cracked products stream into an offgas fraction comprising C1-C4 compounds and at least one further fraction, optionally followed by separating fraction comprising the C1-C4 fraction into a fraction comprising mainly C1-C2 compounds and a fraction comprising mainly C3-C4 compounds. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein hydrogen sulphide is removed from a fraction comprising C1-C2 compounds and/or from a fraction comprising C3-C4 compounds. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein steam is added to the feed/fluid cracking catalyst or steam is used to improve the separation of the catalyst from the products stream. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the activated carbon in the filter is more than 500 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon in the filter is physically or chemically activated. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a slipstream of the amine solution is treated. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  wherein a 5 to 50% slipstream of the amine solution is treated. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein a 10 to 25% slipstream of the amine solution is treated. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the amine solution is a lean amine solution from the regenerator. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein one or more antifoaming agents are used in the amine treating process. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a slipstream of 5 to 10 vol %/day of the amine solution is removed from the process and replaced with fresh amine solution.